For many married couples, the first year of marriage can be the most challenging because there are so many changes happening at once. For Paul and Nicola, from Florida, that was far from the case. They say that the year following their marriage, on March 25th, 2017, was the most beautiful year of their lives.
Paul, 47, and Nicola, 42, were eager to share with CatholicMatch members some good memories of their wedding and how life has been going for them after the honeymoon.
Do you have a favorite memory from your wedding?
On March 25th, 2017, Paul & Nicola were married at Holy Faith Catholic Church in Gainesville, FL.
Nicola: Our wedding was beautiful! It was very small. We had 40 guests, and it was only our family. My cousin from Trinidad surprised me with my Goddaughter—I didn't know they were coming.
Paul and I took pictures before the ceremony. I loved seeing him look so handsome in his suit. We had so much fun; we danced all night.
Paul: I loved our wedding and having our families come. Many of our relatives met for the first time. My favorite part though was the Mass and communion.
You said that it's been the "most beautiful year of your lives." What has made it so?
Nicola: I LOVE being married to Paul. We are birds of a feather! Paul and I are very blessed. We don't argue; if we have a disagreement we are able to talk it over, and it gets settled very quickly. He's so helpful around the house, and I can count on him to be my companion, my support.
I love loving him, and he loves me perfectly!
Paul: Since Nicola and I have so much in common, we have more time for inspiring each other. She has helped me take my dreams and run with them in a way I only briefly found alone.
Have there been any challenges in your marriage?
Nicola: Our main challenge is that he works offshore on a petroleum barge, and he's gone one month on, one month off. So being apart is hard; we miss each other very much. But I'm grateful for his job. It's given us the opportunity to buy five acres of land and build our dream home.
Paul: We haven't had any relationship challenges at all with each other, but we have both had challenges in life. It has been good to have a partner to rely on.
Was owning land and a farm one of your dreams?
Nicola: YES! We both always wanted to have a lot of land and to have a farm. We will eventually have chickens, ducks, goats, rabbits, and a vegetable garden. We are both on the same page with being able to grow our own food.
Paul: The self-sufficient farm has always been a dream of mine, but even bigger than that was land with trees. I feel peaceful and productive there. We are looking forward to building an art studio as well. Both of us encourage each other in our projects.
How do you stay connected the month that he’s out to sea?
Nicola: We get to speak every couple of days when Paul’s in port. When he's out at sea, he doesn't have cell coverage.
Paul: Being away at sea can be a challenge. I don't know what we would do without phones. Neither of us could do the old days at sea that sailors and their families used to deal with some letters, occasional phone calls, and no contact for weeks. We only have to deal with a few days at a time without speaking.
While I love my work, there will come a time when I come home from the sea for good. Towards that end, I am going to start some online classes this summer and then work on a degree.
Nicola, how do you keep yourself busy while Paul is gone? Do you have a job outside the home?
Nicola: No, I'm currently not working. I'm officially a housewife. I keep myself busy with art. I'm an artist, and I paint in mixed media, watercolor, and acrylic. In the last month, I've been painting birdhouses and bird feeders to put in our trees on the land.
Do you have any dating or relationship advice for CatholicMatch members?
Nicola: God is in control. Trust Him, and everything will work out. Put God first, and the rest will fall into place. Also, Paul and I have so much in common. Those are the secret to a happy life.
Paul: Marriage is a calling, and I am grateful to the Church for the emphasis she puts on the sacrament. I prayed a lot about it for many years. There is a lot of wisdom too in the old song, "You Can't Hurry Love."
And I think finding out who you are and whom you would be suited for is very helpful. I bought a lengthy personality profile test book, and I learned a lot about myself and potential mates. If a relationship isn't the one, don't settle. If I settled, I wouldn't have met Nicola.
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